Queen of the 'Ring honoured with renamed corner

The late Sabine Schmitz, known as the Queen of the Nürburgring, has been honoured by the circuit's owners, renaming the opening corner on the Nordschleife after her.

Schmitz died in March this year, aged 51, following a battle with cancer. She'd spent her life in the vicinity of the race track after growing up in the town of Nürburg, having reportedly clocked up over 30,000 laps of the famous circuit.

The Sabine-Schmitz-Kurve is the first left-handed corner on the Nordschleife Circuit after it merges with the Grand Prix Circuit – with drivers starting their laps of the 20.83km ‘Green Hell’ and plunging into the Eifel forest after taking the turn.

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Having been best known to the general public as the woman who nearly lapped the 'Ring in under 10 minutes aboard a Ford Transit van on Top Gear, and later becoming a host on the show, it was on the Nürburgring where she did her best work, being the only woman to win the Nürburgring 24 Hours race in 1996 and 1997 aboard an E36 BMW M3.

Her association with BMW and the 'Ring didn't stop there, being a long-time driver of an E60 BMW M5 dubbed 'The Ring Taxi', giving paying passengers the ride of their life around the Nordscheife at full pace.

Nürburgring managing director, Mirco Markfort, said Schmitz will always be associated with the circuit and vice versa now one of its corners is named after the region's most famous resident.

"Sabine Schmitz was the ambassador of the Nürburgring," said Markfort.

"Her name was mentioned around the globe in the same breath as our race track

"She still stands for what defines the Nürburgring: the close connection to the region, the close proximity to the fans and the passionate commitment."

The official inauguration of Sabine-Schmitz-Kurve will occur on September 11, 2021 as a part of the Six Hour Nürburging Endurance Series race.